Earring including loss-preventing attaching device



y 7, 1969 J. L. DRISCOLL 3,446,033

EARRING INCLUDING LOSS-PREVENTING ATTACHING DEVICE Filed Dec 18, 1964 I8 :12- I .31.. ll: IT@ INVENTOR. |6 I9 I JESSE L. DRISCOLL BY III-:5; B Z

ATTORNEY w United States Fatent C 3,446,033 EARRING INCLUDING LOSS-PREVENTING AT'I'ACHING DEVICE Jesse L. Driscoll, 100 Oak Rim Way, Los Gatos, Calif. 95030 Filed Dec. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 419,461 Int. Cl. A44c 7/00 US. Cl. 63-12 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE My invention relates to earrings and more particularly to an attaching device therefor designed to utilize the pierced lobe of an ear for securing the earring on the lobe.

Such earring attaching devices as heretofore proposed have been found to be objectionable for various reasons among which are difficulty of application to the ear; unslightly appearance on the ear, distortion of the ear lobe resulting in movement of the ornament out of vertical position on the ear, discomfort to the wearer resultant of clamping the ear lobe, and most important of all the possibility of accidental detachment of the earring from the lobe and in many instances its loss.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide an earring having an attaching device which is characterized by its easy mode of application to a pierced ear lobe; by its ability to hold the ornament of the earring in proper position on the ear lobe regardless of the size, weight or shape of the ornament, and without flexing of the ear lobe in any direction from its natural position; and 'by the security with which it functions to prevent accidental detachment of the earring from the ear, and yet allowing its ready detachment when desired.

My attaching device is further characterized by its structural simplicity and low cost of manufacture since it is constructed from a single length of wire bent in a manner to achieve the advantages above recited, and also so as to leave no projections sharp or otherwise which might injure the ear, neck or head of the wearer when lying on the ear.

Additionally my device is characterized by having a pointed portion which can be utilized to pierce an ear that has not been previously pierced to form an aperture therethrough so that my device can be applied and used as intended.

I will describe only two forms of ear attaching devices for earrings, each embodying my invention, as applied to various forms of ornaments, and will then point out the novel features thereof in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged view showing in perspective one form of attaching device embodying my invention applied to an earring ornament shown in phantom.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a human left ear looking from the rear edge thereof, and showing the earring and attaching device of my invention applied to the pierced lobe of the ear.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a pendant type of earring embodying my attaching device.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the lobe of the right ear, and a ring form of ornament mounted thereon by my attaching device.

FIG. 5 shows in elevation the confronting sides of the right and left ear lobes, and with the earrings of my invention for the respective ears applied thereto.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a view showing the inner side of the right ear lobe and how the attaching device is adapted to be manipulated to attach it to the lobe.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 and showing how the attaching device is adapted to be manipulated to remove it from the lobe.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showingthe device in side elevation and the ear lobe in vertical section, and illustrating in solid and broken lines the two intermediate positions which the device must occupy to effect its complete removal from the lobe.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of an unpierced ear lobe, and the leading end of a modified form of device designed to be used to pierce and thus form an aperture therein for the reception of my attaching device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and to FIG. 1 thereof which illustrates the earring of my invention greatly enlarged, it will be seen that it consists of an ornament A of ball form, and a device D for attaching the ornament to the lobe L (FIG. 2) of a human ear E.

The attaching device D is preferably made from a single length of metal wire of suitable gauge to give it the necessary rigidity for the purpose. A portion of this wire is bent to form a linear member, stud or shank portion 15, then bent at substantially right angles as at 16 to form a second linear member or cross bar portion 17 as an L- shaped leg. At the other end of the member 17 the Wire is bent back upon itself at an acute angle as at 18. The wire then takes the form of an arcuate member or arch 19 for at least a quadrant radially of the bend 16 and in a plane coplanar of the second lineal member or cross bar portion 17. From the arcuate member 19 the wire extends beyond the angle 16 to provide a terminal portion 20 for initially introducing the wire element into the aperture of a pierced ear lobe as will be explained later. The terminal portion 20 is bent laterally outwardly of the plane of the arcuate member 19 and portion 17 so as not to engage the inner side of the ear lobe after attachment of the ornament to the lobe.

The device D is mounted on the ball ornament A by fixedly securing the free end of the member 15 so that such member extends radially from the ornament.

To apply the earring to the lobe L reference is had to FIGS. 2 and 7 wherein it will be seen that the free end of the terminal portion 20 can, through manipulation of the ornament A, be introduced into the aperture of the lobe with the arcuate member 19 in a plane substantially parallel to the outer side of the lobe. Then, by pushing the ornament to the wearers right in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7, the arcuate member 19 passes lengthwise through the lobe aperture until it reaches the acute angle bend 18. Now by pushing the device to the left in FIG. 7, the leg member 17 is moved likewise from the bend 18 until the bend 16 abuts the ear lobe. Thereafter the shank member 15 can, by pushing it inwardly of the lobe aperture, be caused to enter the aperture completely as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Thus the ornament is ultimately brought into abutting relation to the outer side of the lobe. The attaching device D can now be turned so that the terminal portion 20 extends rearwardly of the ear lobe as seen in FIGS. 2 and 6. The right angle bend at 16,

the acute bend at 18, straight portion 17, the positioning of portions 17 and 19 in a plane perpendicular to member 15, and the fact that member 15 is of a length causing ornament A and the coplanar portions to simultaneously abut opposite sides of the ear lobe, all cooperate to furnish means whereby the security of the earring against accidental disengagement from the ear is increased.

Once the earring is applied to a lobe as above-described, it will be clear that with the wearer in an upright position the cross member or stud 15 is in an approximately horizontal position as extended through the lobe, and with the ornament A abutting the outer side of the lobe, and the arcuate member 19 abutting the inner side of the lobe.

The foregoing procedure explained the application of the attaching device to the left ear. It will be understood that the procedure is reversed in applying the right earring to the right ear lobe. In this connection it will be noted in FIG. that the wire element for each earring is the same, but reversed so that the terminal portion 20 projects rearwardly of the ear lobe upon which it is worn.

As will be seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, that from the bend 18 the arcuate member 19 projects upwardly at an acute angle relative to and in the same plane as the linear member 17. The terminal portion 20 extends rearwardly away from the inner side of the lobe so that its free end cannot prick, scratch or otherwise injure the lobe or the adjacent part of the wearers neck or head even should the wearer lie on the ear or when struck on the ear.

The inherent lack of balance of earrings having the screw stud type or the loop type of attaching device is greatly diminished if not eliminated, by my attaching device since the supporting action provided by the arcuate member 19 in resting in upright position against the inner side of the lobe shifts the fulcrum point of the earring from the stud 15 as it extends through the lobe, to a point much closer to the concha of the ear. The resultant leverage action involves most of the lobe instead of the lower tip only as occurs in previous stud and loop of attaching devices.

Whether the ornament is of the form shown in FIG. 3, the ball and chain form A1 shown in FIG. 3, on the ring, pendant form A2 shown in FIG. 4, it functions to restrain the linear member 15 against slipping inwardly of the lobe and thus the arcuate member 19 is maintained in contact at all times with the inner side of the lobe. The net result is to maintain the ornament in a vertical position on and parallel to the lobe, and therefore there can be no drooping effect of the ornament on the lobe as with previous types of earrings,

It will be apparent from the preceding description of my attaching device that once it is applied to a lobe the earring cannot unintentionally or inadvertently become detached from the lobe. Only by manual manipulation of the device in the following manner can it be detached from the ear.

By reference to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 it will be seen that with the member 19 in the dotted line position shown in FIG. 7, the first step in effecting detachment of the earring is to grip and turn the ball ornament A in a clockwise direction as indicated in FIG. 8 and through such an are so to rotate the device D that the member 19 is now extending vertically downward as shown in FIG. 8. The second step in the operation is to pull the ornament outwardly away from the lobe at the same time twisting it about its vertical axis which causes the member 15 to pass first outwardly of the lobe then the bend 16, and finally the member 17, all as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 9. The third and final step for complete removal of the device D from the lobe is to twist the ornament slightly downward and at the same time pull it outwardly. This causes the bend 18 to pass through the lobe followed by complete withdrawal of the member 19.

Thus, it should become evident that only through the aforedescribed manipulations of the ornament in the order above set forth can the earring be detached from the lobe which precludes, if not prevents, accidental detachment of the earring from the ear.

It will be noted that my attaching device D for the left ear lobe L is reversely mounted on the ornament A from that of the device for the right ear lobe so that in each instance the arch member 19 extends rearwardly across the inner side of the lobe and with the outwardly flared terminal portion 20 projecting rearwardly and outwardly from the lobe.

Manifestly, since the arch members 19 lie flat against the inner sides of the lobes they are concealed from view at the outer sides of the lobes. Also, from front and rear edges of the lobes only the width and diameter of the wires of the devices can be seen. Thus my attaching devices are practically invisible to a viewer in contradistinction to prior forms of devices which are so visible as to render them unsightly.

In FIG. 10 is illustrated the terminal portion 20 of the member 19 as being formed with a point 21 which can be used to puncture an ear lobe that has not been previously punctured to form an aperture therethrough and thus permit application of any earring. Once the point 21 on the terminal portion 20 has been used for this purpose, the point 21 should be removed by clipping it from the portion 20 so as to leave on the free end of the latter a blunt end as shown in FIG. 1.

Although I have herein shown only two forms of earring attaching devices, each embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of my invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

1. In an earring the combination with an ornament therefor of an ear attaching means for mouning such ornament on the outer side of a pierced ear lobe and including means for increasing security against accidental disengagement from the ear, said attaching means comprising a first straight rigid member having one end fixed to such ornament and extendable through an ear lobe aperture so that its free end is disposed to inner side of the lobe, said security increasing means including second and third members, said second member being a straight rigid member fixed to the free end of said first member and extending at a right angle therefrom, said third member being an arcuately curved rigid member fixed to the free end of said straight second member and acutely bent back over the latter to overlie the entire length thereof in coplanar alignment therewith, the plane of said second and third members being perpendicular to the axis of said first member and the first member having a length such that, when said ornament abuts the outer side of the lobe in stable position, the second and third members lie substantially fiat against the inner side of the lobe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 180,887 8/1876 Jeanne 63-l3 2,739,596 3/1956 Roberts 6313 X FOREIGN PATENTS 809,579 2/1959 Great Britain.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner. 

